MALTA THE JEWEL OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA 2018 Fabio Besta High School 13 th September- 14 th October
MALTA
MALTA IS AN ARCHIPELAGO OF THREE ISLANDS MALTA, GOZO AND COMINO- IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. ITS LOCATION HAS GIVEN IT GREAT STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE AS A NAVAL BASE, WITH A SUCCESSION OF POWERS HAVING RULED THE ISLAN DS, INCLUDING THE PHOENICIANS, CARTHAGINIANS, ROMANS, BYZANTINES, ARABS, NORMA NS, SICILIANS, SPANISH, THE KNIGHTS OF SAINT JOHN, FRENCH, AND BRITISH.
LEARNING HOSPITALITY MANY TRAVELLERS HAVE DISEMBARKED HERE IN THE COURSE OF HISTORY. THE RICHNESS AND VARIETY OF MALTESE CULTURE IS A SIGN THAT ITS PEOPLE HAVE PROFITED GREATLY FROM THE EXCHANGE OF GIFTS AND HOSPITALITY WITH SEAFARING VISITORS. AND IT IS A SIGN THAT THEY HAVE LEARNT TO DRAW UPON THE BEST OF WHAT EACH PEOPLE HAD TO OFFER. MALTA HAS BEEN AT THE CROSSROADS OF MANY OF THE GREAT EVENTS AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES IN EUROPEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN HISTORY, RIGHT UP TO OUR OWN TIMES. THESE ISLANDS HAVE PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF EUROPE, THE NEAR EAST, AND AFRICA.
TIMELINE Waves of conquerers took possession of these small but strategically important territories over the centuries, only to pass them on to the next set of 'owners'. In around 5200 B.C., the first waves of stone age farmers came to these shores. Prehistory 5200 B.C. Arrival of man on Malta 3200 B.C. Building of megalithic temples 2000 B.C. Invasion of Bronze Age peoples 800 B.C. Phoenician colonisation
THE MEGALITHIC TEMPLES
FROM THE IRON AGE TO BYZANTINES Early Inhabitants 900 B.C. The start of the Iron Age 480 B.C. Carthaginian domination Roman Times 218 B.C. Roman domination after the Punic Wars 60 a.d. St. Paul shipwrecked on Malta 395 Byzantine domination of Malta
SAINT PAUL SAINT PAUL WAS AN APOSTLE WHO TAUGHT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST TO THE FIRST CENTURY WORLD. PAUL WAS DEDICATED TO PERSECUTING THE EARLY CHRISTIANS IN JERUSALEM. HE WAS TRAVELLING ON THE ROAD FROM JERUSALEM TO DAMASCUS WHEN JESUS APPEARED TO HIM IN A GREAT LIGHT. HE WAS STRUCK BLIND, BUT AFTER THREE DAYS HIS SIGHT WAS RESTORED AND PAUL BEGAN TO PREACH THAT JESUS OF NAZARETH IS THE MESSIAH.
PAUL S SHIPWRECK PAUL SHIPWRECKED ON THE COAST OF MALTA, AND WAS WARMLY WELCOMED BY ITS INHABITANTS. HIS THREE-MONTH STAY IN MALTA LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK UPON THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY. SAINT PAUL S ARRIVAL IN MALTA WAS NOT PLANNED. HE WAS TRAVELLING TO ROME WHEN A VIOLENT STORM AROSE AND HIS SHIP RAN AGROUND ON THIS ISLAND. Saint Paul s Grotto at Rabat
FROM 9 TH TO 16 TH CENTURY 870 Arabs occupy Malta Normans Rule & The Middle Ages 1090 Normans occupation 1194 Swabian occupation (Germans) 1266 Angevins occupation (Anglo/French) 1283 Aragonese occupation (Spanish) Knights of St. John 1530 Order of the Knights of St John arrive in Malta 1561 Inquisition established 1565 The Great Siege of Malta by the Ottoman Turks 1566 The Founding of Valletta
THE PALACE OF THE KNIGHTS IT IS THE MOST FAMOUS PLACE ON THE ISLAND. IT WAS BUILT IN THE 16 TH CENTURY AND IT IS A COLOSSAL BUILDING. THE PALACE HAS ABOUT 500 ROOMS, 100 HALLS AND 50 STAIRCASES. FOR MANY YEARS THE PALACE WAS THE RESIDENCE OF THE GRAND MASTER OF THE MALTESE ORDER.
THE KNIGHTS OF MALTA THE MALTESE PRESERVE THEIR TRADITIONS AND COMMEMORATE THE MEMORY OF THE MALTESE KNIGHTS IN MANY WAYS
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THE GREAT SIEGE OF 1565
THE FORTIFICATIONS THE FORTIFICATIONS THAT FEATURE SO PROMINENTLY IN THE ISLAND S ARCHITECTURE SPEAK OF EARLIER STRUGGLES, WHEN MALTA CONTRIBUTED SO MUCH TO THE DEFENCE OF CHRISTIANITY BY LAND AND BY SEA. THE ISLAND WAS ATTACKED BY THE TURKS MANY TIMES BUT ALL ATTEMPTS TO SEIZE MALTA FAILED BECAUSE THE KNIGHTS HAD FORTIFIED IT VERY WELL.
FROM THE FRENCH TO THE BRITISH French Occupation 1798 Napoleon Bonaparte takes Malta from the Knights British Period 1814 Malta becomes a British Crown Colony (English) 1914-1918 First World War 1930-1939 Turbulent period of intermittent self-government 1939-1945 Second World War 1947 Restoration of self-government Modern Malta 1964 Independence within the British Commonwealth 1974 Malta becomes a Republic 2004 Malta membership of the European Union 2008 Malta joins the Eurozone
WORLD WAR II
MALTA S FLAG IS WHITE AND RED. THE GEORGE CROSS PROUDLY TESTIFIES TO MALTA S GREAT COURAGE DURING THE DARK DAYS OF THE LAST WORLD WAR.
CARAVAGGIO (1571-1610) The most famous artist who worked in Malta is Michelangelo Merisi known as Caravaggio. Caravaggio arrived in Malta in 1607 having fled Rome to avoid justice. He was wanted for murder. However, in Malta, under his new patrons, he was admitted to the Order of St. John. But his freedom from justice lasted only just over a year. He was imprisoned in Fort St. Angelo and later escaped to Sicily, only to die two years later at the age of 38.
THE BEHEADING OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST
SAINT JEROME IN VALLETTA
TOURISM IS THE MAIN INDUSTRY
DIVING IS A POPULAR ACTIVITY.
MOSTA It is a town in the Northern Region of Malta, to the northwest of Valletta. It has a population of about 20,000. The most famous building in Mosta is the Rotunda, a large church with a large dome. Mosta celebrates the feast of the Assumption every 15 August, popular among both the locals and the foreigners.